February 9, 2026 QUEENS, NY The vibration on the dashboard never stops. Before Father Fabian Arias can even pull his car out of a Queens parking lot, his phone is screaming again. On the other end? Another desperate voice, another family facing the cold marble halls of 26 Federal Plaza, another plea for a miracle.
For the "Padre of Midtown," this isn't just a ministry—it’s a battlefield.
“More Aggressive Than a Military Occupation”
Father Arias, an Argentine immigrant who leads St. Peter’s Church, has seen it all. He remembers the factory raids of the Bush era, but he says nothing compares to the current "diabolical" atmosphere. In a chilling comparison, Arias likens the modern crackdown to the dark days of his youth in Argentina, when military forces occupied the country and thousands "disappeared."
“Never in my 62 years have I seen anything like this,” Arias says. “It is aggressive—verbally, physically, psychologically.”
Terror at 26 Federal Plaza
Arias doesn’t just pray; he puts his body on the line. Every week, he escorts families to their mandatory court hearings, coming face-to-face with masked ICE agents. He has watched, helpless, as agents wrestle people into shadows and shove mothers to the ground.
The violence has become so visceral that the priest is losing his own army of helpers. Roughly 40% of his volunteers have quit, paralyzed by the fear of being targeted by federal agents who "attack people" in broad daylight.
"In every case, I want to say: take me, not them." — Father Fabian Arias
A Life Under Surveillance
The intimidation isn't just happening at the courthouse. Arias himself was recently ushered into a back room at JFK Airport and interrogated—a move he views as a blatant scare tactic to stop his work.
But the Padre remains unshakeable. When he isn't in court, he’s on the streets of Jackson Heights:
